Trolley.



No. 650,904. Patented June 5, 1900.. c. H. mawms.

"'TBOLILEY."

(Application filed. 06h. 20, 1899.)

(No Model.)

A TTORNE Y.

m: Norms Farms co, PHOTO-LUNG" msmuewu, u. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. MOGWIRE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,904, dated June 5, 1900.

Application filed October 20, 1899. Serial No. 734,252. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. MCGVVIRE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Controllers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved trol-, ley-controllin g device; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a device for spring-actuated trolleys for electric-car systems which will prevent their flying up and breaking adjacent wires when a trolley runs off its engaging wire; second, to provide a device that can be quickly attached to the trolleys at present in use, and, third, to provide a simple and inexpensive device that will instantly release the tension the trolley is under the instant it leaves the current-wire. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spring-controlled trolley, showing myimproved trolleycontrolling device attached to it. Fig. 2 is an end elevation in the direction of the arrow A on line B of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front end elevation of the trolley-swinging post and the trolley base and pole. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the spring-actuating portion of' the trolley; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary View, with parts in section, of the slip and grip rods of my trolley-controller. Similar figures of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 1 designates the trolleypole, 2 a trolley sheave wheel pivotally secured to the end of the pole, and 3 the trolley-wire. To the lower end of the pole 1 a rock-arm t is attached by a sleeve portion 5, which forms the upper portion of the rock-arm. From the center of the sleeve portion the rock-arm divides into' two similar sides 5, which are pivoted to a pro jecting boss 6 of the sleeve 7 by a bolt 8. The

, ments.

lower edges of the sides of the rock-arm extend beyond the body portion of this rockarm and are curved into a rocker shaped curve 9, to the forward ends of which a metal band 10 is pivoted bya pin 11. These metal bands bear against the curved edges and extend rearward to a cross-bar 12, to which they are secured. A plurality of springs 13 are attached to this cross-bar and extend to a second cross-bar 1 3, from which a threaded rod 14 extends rearward through the depending end 15 of a bracket-arm 16, that forms the rearward support for the said springs and their attach- This arm forms an integral partof the sleeve 7 and forms with it a pivotal swinging support for the rock-arm and pole. This swinging post and its arm'are journaled on a vertical stud 17, which forms an integral portion of the base 18, which is adapted to be bolted to the top of an electric car. These several elements above enumerated constitute a type of spring-controlled trolley in general use and are illustrated and described here in order that the application of my controlling device to it may be clearly understood.

This trolley operates as follows: The rockarm and pole'swing freely up and down on the bolt 8 of the pivotal support, and the springs are drawn toward the end of the arm by nuts which. are placed on the outer end of the threaded rod and bear on, the outer end of the arm 15. These nuts, however, are not shown, as 1 dispense with them. As the springs are drawn toward the end of the arm the metal bands are drawn with them and draw the edge of the curved rock-arm back, causing the pole to move upward into the air, and when the pole is about in a vertical position the rod 14 is locked by screwing the nuts up against the outside of the end of the arm. Then as the trolley is drawn down by an operator under the wire by the rope 19 the springs are expanded and the trolley-sheave is guided to bear against the wire and is held there by the upward resilient tension of the springs. Consequently when the trolleysheave runs off the wire the pole flies violently up and is apt to break any adjacent wires with which it comes in contact.

My invention is intended to release the tension of the springs from the trolley-pole and its rock-arm the moment the sheave leaves the wire and starts violentlynpward and to release it tosnchan extent that the polewill immediately stop.

Isecure to the arm lGbyboltsQOaeasting term a-springerelease lever.

lever at its central portion by a bolt 24*, ar-- 21, which contains two bearings-22 and 23. To the bearing22 I pivot a lever 24, which I I pivot this ranging it to stand atsubstantially right angles to :the rod 14. The lower endof this lever is attached loosely to the rod 14:, a slot 25 being made in it, through which this red passes, and on the rod, at eaehside ofthe end,

- a nut-26 is threaded, the sides of the lever being rounded to allowthe end of the lever movement between them without bindingbetween them. The upper end of this lever is Thisrock-arm 29is pivoted intermediate of its ends by abolt 30130 the hearing 23. The

opposite endof this rock-arm 29 is pivotally attached to one end of a rod 32, which I term a slip-rod, by a pin 33, and the lever 2 and the roclearm: are arranged to normally stand with all their centers in line, which prevents any movement of the release-lever 24 bythe strain of the springs on its lower end. The oppositeend of the rod 32 is provided with a. disk or head portion 32", that is placed at right angles to the axisof the rod. A red 3ft, which I term a grip-rod, passes loosely through a hole in the center of the disk, one

end of which is pivotallyattached to a clamp 35, which is arranged to beeasily secured to. the trolley-pole. The opposite end of the grip-rod contains around portion 36, to which is pivotally attached a disk 37, which is arranged at right angles to the axis of the rod. The disk is also provided with a depending stem 38, to which is secured one end of a spring 39, the opposite end of which is secured to the rod 3i. p The disk is mounted on the rod 32, and the hole through which the rod 32 passes is arranged so that when the rod 34 is drawn slowly by the pole the disk will slide along the rod 32; but if the pole and rod move quickly upward under the inertia of the springs the disk will cant on its pivotal pin and will instantly grip the rod 32. A square shoulder 40 is formed on the end of the grip-rod 34., above the round portion, against which the pivoted disk is normally held by the expansive power of said spring.

41 is a stop-pin placed to define the movement of the push-levers 2'7 and rock-arm 29 in the direction that will release the tension of the springs.

The operation of the controlling device is as follows: As the trolley runs along the trolley-wire the slip-rod 34: will slide on the griprod 32 when the trolley is constantly moving up and down as it runs 011 loose and tight or high or low wires, as the changes take place with a slow regular movement; but the instant the trolley leaves the wire it springs into the air, and this lightning-like movement of the grip-rods causes the pivoted disk 37 to tilt on its pivotal pin and to grip the slip-rod. 2, which rocks the rock-arm 29 in the direction of the arrow 42 on its pivotal bolt 30 and moves the push-lever 27down in: the direction.

of the arrow 43 and the. top of the release-lever 2st backward in the direction of the arrow 4- as shown in dotted lines, and as this release-lever ispivoted to the bearing22 its op posite :end moves the rod and the springsinstantly toward the rock-arm of the base of the trolley and instantly relieves the. trolley from the tension ofthe springs, and as the trolley is attached to these slip and grip rods and the release-leveritis bronghtto a stop before it has moved: but a few inches.

levers and slip and grip rods can be made of various leverages and: lengths relative to the movement tobe given tothe springs to fully release their tension on the trolley. To re- The I I the downward movement until the rock-arm 29 is moved back, with its pivotal connections at its ends and centers in alinementwith the pivotal centers at the ends of thepush-lever 27,: whichlocks the push-lever and rock-arm on dead+eenters Of course when this lever and rook-arm are moved back to this position the release-lever24 is also broughtbaek to its normal position, and as this is done the springs are moved back also to their former positionand their tension onthe trolley is re.--

established. The trolley is stopped so close to the wire that it can be replaced very quickly.

My invention is strong and durable and can be cheaply made and can be quickly adapted to the spring-controlled trolleys in use.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a trolley-controller, the combination with a spring-controlled trolley, of a releaselever pivot-ally attached at one end to the tension-rod of the trolley-controlling springs a pivotal support intermediate of the ends of said release-lever, a push-lever pivoted to the opposite end of the first-named lever and means attached to said push-lever and connected to the trolley-pole for moving said springs to maintain and release their tension on and from said trolley-pole, substantially as described.

2. In a trolley-controller the combination with the swinging arm, the trolley-pole and the trolley-wire, of flexible bands connected to the base of said trolley-pole below its pivotal connection to said swinging arm, a plurality of springs operatively connected at one end to said bands, a bar secured to the opposite ends of said springs, a threaded rod extending from said bar loosely through the end of said swinging arm, a lever secured loosely of the ends of said rock-arm arranged relatively with the pivotal connections of the said second-named lever to form a line of deadcenters, and means connected with the free end of said rock-arm and said trolley-pole whereby when said trolley leaves the wire, the tension of said springs is released and the trolley thus stopped, substantially as described.

3. In a trolley-controller, the combination with the trolley-pole, the swinging arm and the trolley-Wire, of the actuating-springs and their rear supporting-rod, a rod attached at one end to said trolley-pole, a grip-disk pivoted at its opposite end at substantially right angles to the axis of said rod, a spring arranged to hold said disk normally at right angles to the axis of said rod, asecond rod passing slidably through said grip-disk when in its normal position and containing a laterally-projecting disk at its end slidably mounted on said first-named rodand means including levers connected with the opposite end of said second-named rod and said springs supporting-rod for releasing the tension of said springs from said trolley-pole when it runs olf said trolley-wire, substantially as described.

24. In a trolley-controller, the combination with the trolley-pole, the trolley swinging and supporting base and the trolley-poles actuating-springs, of the rod extending from said springs loosely through the end of said swinging arm nuts threaded on said rod, a lever loosely mounted at one end on said rod between said nuts, a pivotal support for said lever intermediate of its ends, a second lever pivoted at one end toits opposite end, a rockarm lever pivoted-to the opposite end of said second lever, a pivotal support for said rockarm intermediate of its ends and cooperatively arranged with said second-named lever to the pivotal connection of the -rock-arm with the push-lever, and the push-lever with the springq'eleasing lever in the same plane and establishing a line of dead centers whereby said spring-actuating lever is normally locked against accidental movement, substantially as described.

5. In a trolley controll'er, the combination with the trolleypole and the swinging springsupporting trolley-base and the trolley-wire, of the trolley-actuating springs, the threaded rod extending from said springs through the end of said swinging base, the spring-releasing lever loosely secured to said rod, the pivotal support for said release-lever, the pushlever pivoted to said release-lever, the rockarm pivoted to said push-lever, the pivotal support for said rock-arm arranged and positioned in the same normal plane with the opposite pivotal connections of said push-lever with said release-lever and with said rockarm, a rod pivotally secured to the opposite end of saidrock-arm and means connected with said rod and said trolley-pole and including a spring-controlled inertia-actuating gripping device, substantially as described.

6. In a trolley-controller, the combination with the trolley-turning base, the trolley-pole, the trolley-wire and the trolley-actuating springs of a rod pivotally secured to said trolley-pole, the disk pivoted to the end of said rod, the expansion -spring connecting said disk and rod and adapted to hold said disk normally at right angles, the lever slidably connected to said rod, the rock-arm pivotally connected to the end of said lever and intermediate mechanism connected with said rockarm and trolley-springs for instantly releas ing said trolley-pole from the resilient tension of said springs, substantially as described.

7. The combination with the trolley pole and base and the trolley-actuating springs, of the bearings adapted to be secured to said base, the levers pivotally supported in said bearing and connected with said trolley-actuating spring, and the slip and grip rods connecting said levers with said trolley-pole, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. MOG\VIRE.

Witnesses:

BESSIE THOMPSON, ALBERT DAKAN. 

